The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Computers and mobile computing devices are ubiquitous in the increasing connected information age. However, with all of the devices and communications networks and systems and media, it is often still difficult for a business person to capture, review and evaluate all of the desired data and to utilize that data to improve business efficiency. The computing devices are often merging or available on duplicated platforms and available data is becoming more easily accessible such as in remote access or cloud storage and computing, but individuals often cannot fully utilize these to effectively improve their business functions. To the contrary, these many sources of data, devices and constantly available communications bandwidth often creates more inefficiency and can create or add to the information overload induced attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) for those attempting utilize all of the available data. If you want to find out statistics, news headlines, a profile or information about something or someone, on-line data is available with relative ease to those who know where to look, but finding and gathering actually useful data can be tedious and inefficient.
Further, computing devices have evolved such that these devices have numerous software applications or apps that are developed by separate and distinct entities and each of which can be accessed by a use of the portable computing device, but each of which has its own procedures, system user interface screens and functionality and lack thereof. While there are available links for transporting data and data importing and linking of certain app functionality, and the computing devices are increasing enabling multiple tasking, the system user of the current mobile devices and apps do not have an ability to merge data and functionality for improved efficiency. This is particularly the case with professional sports agents that can often have 25 to 50 player-clients 104 that they represent or they are considering to represent.
Starting out in the morning, a sports agent wakes early to review the most up to date statistics about the agent's player-clients 104 or potential player-clients 104. This often entails active players or potential players, each of which may currently be involved in numerous different leagues throughout the world. These players may be in different sports or playing in the same sport at different levels. During a season in which the player is active, the player may have had a game the night before or in the last few days or weeks. The agent will typically review his current emails, check for telephone calls, telephone messages, text messages or the like to see if any player or team or another agent contacted them. If a player had a game the night before, the agent typically looks at his player-client list and calendar and starts at the top of the list looking at each player finding out what they did the night before. This often entails using a web browser or application for that particular game or league or possible a pull data or push data application for such league or sport. Based on the review of each player's activities, the agent may want to initiate a communication to the player-client. In such cases, the agent must open the appropriate app such as the directory or an email, phone or text app in order to create a message or communication with the player. For instance, it could be as simple as a text message to a player such as “good game last night” or as is appropriate under the circumstance. Further, in today's world of social media, the agent is also likely to log on to their Twitter, Facebook or similar social media website account as they are most likely following their player-clients for any posts or statements or their updating of their status. The agent needs to monitor their player-client social presence as the social presence of a player can directly impact the player-client's contract or relationship with their team or their marketability. A typical sports agent may perform these tasks for numerous ones of their player-clients, which can often take more than a couple of hours of their typical morning.
The agent then often has scheduled meetings or conference calls with player-clients, perspective player-clients, scouts, current and potential teams related to contracts, performance, medical or health issues, trades, free agency, future signings, and future drafts. The agent will typically utilize his Outlook or similar calendar app of his computing device to aid in the scheduling and coordination of such activities. During all of this, the agent is required to be readily available to player-clients 104, future player-clients 104, as well as team representatives.
The agent is also likely to be evaluating his player-client's opportunities for the future as to contract terms, performance and value, which requires further analysis of statistics of not only the player-client, but also in comparison to other players or comparable players and contracts. The agent also must be constantly aware of current player-client activities and watch as many player-client games so that the agent can have personal knowledge of the player-client performances for both discussions with the player-client, as well as teams and the press. Agents have become reliant on being constantly connected to the information age and regularly utilize numerous communications, web browsing, social media, and scheduling and calendaring applications, and constantly maneuvering from one to another, while taking written notes the entire time.
With all of these computing systems and applications, the resources available to the agent are substantial, however the accessing and utilization of such resources are constrained and time consuming and maneuvering between the numerous required systems are a constant demand for time and decreased efficiency.